Hazelnut Soup Bowls
by Cloudess
Summary: The young lad couldn't resist a chuckle and sported a gleeful smile for a good measure. "I know you couldn't resist me. I did mention it to you, right? I have superhuman looks." - Tidbits of the life of Rapunzel and Eugene.
1. First Bowl of Soup

This would be my _very_ first shot on writing a story so, this will probably be crappy. LOL

_Slices of moments in the lives of Rapunzel and Eugene. Told in tidbits._

A/N: This one-shot happened when the couple was waiting for the king and queen at the balcony.

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**Complementary**

The moment has finally come.

"I'm finally going to see them, Eugene." Yes, this is really it, Rapunzel thought nervously. She knew that she should really be happy that things turned out to be fine in the end but she can't help but feel pessimistic about the upcoming reunion with her true family. It's been eighteen years after all.

Sighing out loud, Rapunzel turned her head to look at her companion, absently reaching out to one of the ends of her chopped her.

"I said I'm finally going to meet them or are you busy thinking something else there," she said rather angrily.

Eugene on the other hand, looked unperturbed at the fuming woman and did not even bother to grace said woman with a response.

Green eyes darkening, Rapunzel twisted her lips into a scowl and crossed her arms. "Eugene, are you even listening?"

Faking with what looked like a startled expression, Eugene turned to Rapunzel with wide eyes. "Oh, I'm sorry. You were saying something?"

"Argh! Unbelievable!"

"What? I think you are the un-be-lie-va-ble here. You've been shouting and poking at me since we arrived at the palace."

Rapunzel scoffed. She was not at fault here. "No it's you. You can obviously see that I'm in a turmoil right now and you're absolutely doing nothing to help me."

Eugene gave her an impatient look. This woman is impossibly stubborn, annoyingly noisy and unpredictably moody. 'Not to mention that she's been like this for the past forty minutes,' Eugene inwardly added.

He was brought out of his musings, however, when he heard a quiet sniff. Ah, really, he wasn't expecting this.

Rapunzel had had enough with his silent treatment. Hours ago, she had been held imprisoned and betrayed by the person closest to her heart, had witnessed the mother she knew fell from the window. Furthermore, she had seen the most heart-wrenching scene of her entire life. To watch the man she love die in her very arms. How Eugene was slowly slipping away. It was truly a horrifying experience. Can't Eugene see that she was so lost right now?

As the tears start to fall, Rapunzel felt a thumb slide its way on her cheek to wipe the tears away.

"Hey, I know that everything seems so sudden but you have to be strong."

"It's not it... I just..."

'She really had it rough,' Eugene noted with sympathy. Looking at her, all worn out and emotionally down, the former thief hastily hacked possible ideas on how to comfort the now sobbing brown-haired woman.

Suddenly, as if some dam had just burst, Rapunzel tossed her hands up and glared at Eugene who was still lost in his mental search for way on how to alleviate highly distressed damsels. He was obviously ignoring her. The nerve!

Scrunching her fingers into a fist, she punched him on the chest. 'Hah! Take that!'. Much to her displeasure, Eugene looked as if he was never punched at all. 'Well, except maybe for the fact that he is now looking at me. Not ignoring me.' At least she got an improvement.

Preparing herself to give the man another taste of her fist, Rapunzel was about to hit him when her progression was suddenly stopped.

"He-hey, let me go," Rapunzel stuttered as she tried to break free of Eugene's bigger hands around her wrists.

"Why would I let you go when you would just punch me?" Eugene retorted back. "What is the matter with you huh, Blondie? For your information, I am not a punching bag."

"Well, for the moment, you can pass as one. You being all so quiet and ignoring me."

"For your info-! Hey! What is the ma-! Ouch, now that hurt!"

Rapunzel was desperately struggling to get her wrists out of his clutches. Since her hands were currently useless, she had flung her legs around, hoping to hit him so that he would let go. And hit him she did. Eugene dropped his hands and Rapunzel was now unrestricted.

Rubbing her sore wrists, Rapunzel was about to give the man a quick lecture of how men should handle ladies properly but was cut short when Eugene abruptly knelt down and curled his form, as if he was hurt badly. 'Oops. I hit him that hard?' she inwardly cringed.

Recalling his injury from Mother Gothel's doing, she gasped and hurriedly lowered herself to the floor. Rapunzel then wrapped her arms around Eugene's shoulders and buried her face on the crook of his neck.

"Sorry! So sorry! I'm so sorry, Eugene. I didn't mean it. Does it still hurt?" Now horrified by how Eugene seemed to be moaning in pain, Rapunzel grabbed hold of his shoulder and made the decision to go to a healer. The king and queen will have to wait.

"Eugene, can you manage to stand up? We have to go to a healer right now. Maybe your wound has not yet fully healed." Using his shoulders, she managed to pull half of his body up. His face was drooped down, hiding it from her view. Letting go of Eugene's shoulders, she let his body lean on hers and her hands found its way to his face. Inhaling deeply, Rapunzel slowly lifted his face upwards, mentally preparing herself for a glare or anything that would express his wrath of her doing.

What she was not expecting though was his smirking face.

"Cat got your tongue, Rapunzel?"

Oh no, he did not...! 'I fell for his tricks!' She opened her mouth to say something but no words came out.

"You should know, you look like a fish, Blondie... or should I say, Brownie?" Eugene teased her. Careful not to go overboard, lest she pounce on him again.

He really did rendered her speechless, for Rapunzel was still not responding. Instead, she was looking at him with an annoyed look. Idly he wondered, how lucky he was for having a woman with such beautiful looks. 'It's only fitting, I guess. I too have irresistible looks'.

A few moments had already passed and they were still staring at each other. Eugene have yet to remove himself from Rapunzel's person, since he was still leaning on her. And Rapunzel have yet to say something noteworthy.

"Uh... so what now?" Eugene asked warily.

Finally able to speak, Rapunzel cleared her throat and demanded, "You better ask for an apology. I was so worried!"

With no preamble of any sort, Eugene dipped his head towards the lovely face of Rapunzel and sneaked his one hand at the back of her slender neck. When their faces were only a inch apart, their breaths mingling, Eugene whispered, "Will this suffice?"

"_What _will suffice, Eugene?"

"This". Eugene closed the gap between them and kissed her soft lips. He felt, rather than heard, Rapunzel gasp at his unexpected action and he took advantage of it. He darted out his tongue to trace the seam of her lips, tasting her for the first time.

Rapunzel was nothing but flabbergasted at his... his straightforwardness. But she wasn't complaining. In fact, she was actually relieved to know that he is open to some sort of intimacy. Her thoughts suddenly flew out of the window when she felt his tongue on her lips. 'He's driving me crazy!'

Wanting to go further but it really wasn't the appropriate time and they were definitely not in the appropriate place, Rapunzel broke the kiss, gasping for much needed air. Great, she looked like a tomato right now, judging by how her face felt like it's burning. After catching her breath, Rapunzel dared to sneak a glance at the man who just took her breath away.

Eugene was looking at her expectantly. Raising a brow, Rapunzel was about to throw a nonchalant 'What?' when she remembered what he was expecting. Should she or should she not?

"Don't ever joke like that again, Eugene."

Reaching out to caress her brown hair, Eugene tenderly replied, "I'm sorry, okay? Your punch really did hurt."

"Really?"

"Of course not."

Not buying his tease, Rapunzel's shoulders slumped and she sighed in defeat. "Fine! Apology accepted."

The young lad couldn't resist a chuckle and sported a gleeful smile for a good measure. "I know you couldn't resist me. I did mention it to you, right? I have superhuman looks."

Damn. If he weren't just so handsome, and sexy...

_Fin_

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OMG. I finished it. Tell me what you think, guys!

clouddess


	2. Seconds

New chapter added because I finally got my muse back. Enjoy!

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**Willingness**

It's spring time in the Kingdom. Winter had lost all of her icy magic and the land was once again full of colors and life. Every kind of vegetation filled every mountain, all sorts of flowers decorated the green pastures and every living creature woke up from their deep slumber, ready to meet the world with full spirits. All in all, Corona Kingdom was very much alive.

Rapunzel liked Spring ever since the day she first experienced it. On that day, she was still a little girl and she had leaned on her window up the tower, relishing on the first days of Spring. But the very reason why she like Spring was because it was on that season that she finally found her best friend, Pascal.

The brown haired princess was currently lying on a meadow not far away from the palace. She had found the place while strolling down the castle ground a day ago. The meadow had patches of green grasses and an old looking tree at the center of it. Rapunzel thought it to be a very relaxing place.

"It's good to finally unwind a little," Rapunzel said while yawning. She stretched her limbs outwards and glanced to her left, seeing Pascal smiling at her. "I guess being a princess is not easy at all, huh?" Pascal gave a sympathetic nod.

With a heavy sigh, Rapunzel rolled herself so that she was lying on her stomach, her elbows supporting most of her weight. "It's not that I don't like being one. I'm happy here with my family. I'm still just... getting the hang of it, I guess. Royalty and all."

Her pet chameleon made a look of pity, then quickly flashed a smile, as if to reassure her. Rapunzel patted its head, donning a smile of her own. "I'm glad I met you, Pascal."

Closing her eyes, Rapunzel pushed her body up, standing on both feet. She spread her arms, feeling the soft breeze of early spring. "Just like the first time. Now, I'm completely free." But lately, she began to doubt about that. She is now a princess, bound to her kingdom, bound to duties and responsibilities. Rapunzel had been already aware of that ever since she found her true family and she had willingly accepted it. 'This is where I belong.'

Breathing out, eyes still closed, she lifted her arms above with her palms stretched, facing the sun. Rapunzel could feel the steady warmth of it. Sniffing the air, she could smell the earthy scent of the old tree. Taking a step forward, she could feel the grass scrunching underneath her bare foot. "I could go running and dancing and chasing..."

With every rhythm of her soft singing, she took a stride. Step by step.

"...and leaping and bounding. Hair flying..."

Rapunzel touched her short hair, gliding hair strands backwards.

"...heart pounding..."

And yes, her heart pounds. She can still feel it.

"And splashing and reeling..."

The excitement grew inside of her and she giggled at the ticklish sensation.

"And finally feeling!"

Not yet opening her eyes, she finally gave in to the feeling of self-liberation and sprinted into a dash.

"Now's when my life-!"

Suddenly, the magic stopped and Rapunzel was wrenched out of the glorious state of... _freedom_.

In life, there are barriers. Limitations to one's life. 'And I can feel mine.' Slowly, as if fearing of what she might be seeing, Rapunzel lifted her eyelids and opened her eyes.

Bricks. "I see... so many bricks."

She lifted a hand and touched its rough texture. There were vines here and there, making the castle walls even more formidable. Before, she had a reason to break free of that tower but now... now, it's different.

She had no reason to go away.

Letting her hand slipped on to the cool brick, she raised her head and dared to look at the towering wall.

Except maybe for _him_.

_Fin_

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Sorry if it took long for me to update. I've been hesitant lately.

**Note**: You guys might be wondering where's Flynn/Eugene. Well, in this one-shot, Eugene and Rapunzel are still lovers but they aren't really together, like living on the same roof. Eugene decided that he wanted to start again and didn't stay on the castle.

Happy New Year everyone!


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